INTRODUCTION

Abortion refers to the termination of pregnancy by removing the fetus or the embryo
from the uterus before it is ready for birth. Abortion is a public health issue surrounded by years
of controversy. There are two major forms of abortion: spontaneous (which is often referred to as
a miscarriage) and the purposeful abortion (or an induced abortion). Generally, the term abortion
is commonly referred to an induced abortion. This form of abortion has become one of the most
controversial political debate around the world especially in the Philippines where the act is still
criminalized under the law.

The abortion controversy can be broken down into two distinct sides—those who oppose
abortion (pro-life) and those who support abortion rights (pro-choice). Abortion opponents have
maintained with their stand that fetus’ right to life is more important than a woman’s right to
terminate unwanted pregnancy. On the other hand, abortion rights advocate that women have the
rights to control their bodies by choosing to terminate an unplanned pregnancy (Beckwith,
1993).

Looking back at around 19th century, abortion was legally restricted in almost every
country. Historically, restrictions on abortion were introduced for three main reasons: it is
dangerous and abortionists were killing a lot of women (1), it is considered a sin and a
transgression of morality (2), and it is restricted to protect fetal life in all circumstances (3). And
as time passes by, abortion methods are becoming safe in most of the countries, in fact it is now
one of the safest medical procedures if done following the World Health Organization (WHO)
guidance. Meanwhile, it is also the cause of at least one in six maternal deaths from
complications when it is unsafe.

In the Philippines, regardless of the developments in the Reproductive Health Law, many
women still experience unplanned pregnancies, and abortion is the only option that they have.
However, since abortion is highly stigmatized and is criminalized by the law, most of them resort
to unsafe procedures which lead to a number of deaths in the past few years, which makes the
Philippines as the 6th highest maternal mortality rate in Southeast Asia. With this, it is very
evident that the banning of legal abortion does not prevent women to have abortion but it only
allows them to have an unsafe ones.

Before we discuss further, let us first define what is an unsafe abortion. Unsafe abortion,
from the definition of the World Health Organization, is a procedure for terminating pregnancy
performed by person/s lacking the necessary skills or in an environment not in conformity with
medical standards, or both. This unsafe abortion continues until now because of the most
restrictive abortion laws that we have in the Philippines. Studies have shown that unsafe abortion
is a significant contributor to the Philippines’ high maternal mortality ratio and majority of
women who are in these statistics are usually young, poor, or from rural areas.

The only way for women to have a safe abortion is by making it available, affordable and
accessible on the woman’s request. Further, women’s right to safe abortion can only be possible
if there will be a law reform in the Philippines. Legalizing abortion does not mean that the state
is encouraging all women to have an abortion but the goal here is to give those who want an
abortion a safer procedure. In 2004, a research done by the WHO, based on data from all

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countries, showed that the broader the legal grounds for abortion, the fewer deaths there are from
unsafe abortions. This is a proof that the best way to minimize unsafe abortion is by providing
access to safe abortion and removing all legal restrictions.

According to John Stuart Mill, the only way in which we can know the whole of a subject
is by hearing out every person of variety of opinion and studying all modes in which it can be
looked at. Thus, in this paper, we  discuss different and opposing viewpoints regarding the issue
on abortion in order to fully deduced the subject and identify the actions that need to be taken in
order to achieve what is best and safe for women. In the succeeding paragraphs, we will present
the following disciplines—Theology,  Public Health, Jurisprudence, Socio-Cultural, Ethics, and
Politics—and where they stand on the given issue.

THEOLOGY

For the past years, many countries have reformed their laws related to abortion, removing
some (if not all) legal restrictions, meanwhile, the Philippines, as a Christian nation, remains
unmoved when it comes to the issue on abortion. In the following viewpoint, Pope John Paul II
strongly believed that abortion is apparently a heinous crime because it kills an innocent human
being who has yet to be born. He stated that life begins the moment an ovum is fertilized and
every human being has an inviolable right to life.

To further the views of the Catholic Church, an encyclical from Pope John Paul II
entitled Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) will be explained in this part. The book focuses
on the issue regarding the right to life of every human being including abortion, birth control,
euthanasia, embryology, and etc. Here, the value of life is highly emphasized by the church
which constantly warns people against violating its sanctity. Pope John Paul II justifies the idea
that man must never kill (or assist in killing) another human, as it is stated in one of the ten
commandments of God. Specifically, in Passage 62 of the encyclical, Pope John Paul II
mentioned his agreement with Pope John VI’s condemnation of any forms of induced abortion
because it is absolutely a direct killing of a human being.

From Pius XI, in his encyclical Casti Connubii, rejected the justifications of abortion
because every act which intends to destroy human life in the womb is against God’s will. And
also John XXIII reaffirmed that human life is sacred because from its very beginning, it directly
involves God’s creativity. The Second Vatican Council, as mentioned, is very adamant in
condemning abortion. Here is an excerpt taken from the letter which shows the Vatican’s
abomination on abortion: “From the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the
greatest care, while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.”

In  addition, the church finds that abortion comes with a grave moral disorder since it
eliminates or terminates the life of an innocent human being in the preparatory phase of their
existence. Also, chemical abortion methods, unnatural methods of fertilization or artificial
insemination, sterilization for the purpose of controlling birth or any forms that destroy the
product of contraception are being condemned and rejected in the encyclical mentioned above. It
is stated in the letter that direct and intentional abortion are grave sins that the Roman Catholic
Church has denounced and that is very evident even until now. For this reason, the Philippines
remain to conform to the Catholic teaching by not allowing the legalization of abortion.

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 However, no matter how saintly or religious we appear to be as a nation, we can’t deny
the fact that some are just trying to disguise themselves as godly but the truth is that there are
many people around the Philippines who practice immorality. In our country, we consider
abortion as murder, but does this concept really discourages all women from abortion? No, in
fact it is just making women seek for abortion in the black market, risking their health and even
their lives. This should be a signal to legalize abortion because the more we condemn these acts,
the more women will resort to unsafe procedures.

Condemnation of these acts does not change the fact that abortion is happening and will
continue to happen in the next few years. The best thing that the Philippines can do is to accept
the fact that we are not as conservative as we were before. This is very evident in most of the
members of our society especially the youth today. We need to adjust to these changes, policies
should not remain the same especially when the situation surrounding these policies have already
changed.

More so, all the religions/church denominations have taken strong positions on abortion
—they believe that the issue has profound argument of life and death, right and wrong—which
makes it a major religious concern not just for Catholics. In the next passages, we are going to
present the different standpoints of the various churches in the Philippines.
For the Catholics, their strong opposition against the issue is very apparent. Regardless of any
circumstance, abortion will never be justified to be good. For the Baptist Churches, they also
showed their opposition to the issue but unlike the Catholic Church, it has consideration—it
allows abortion in cases where the mother’s life is endanger. They also preached about seeking
spiritual counsel if they consider such choices. Meanwhile, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints teaches that abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the
commandments of God.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Globally, abortion mortality accounts for at least 13% of all maternal mortality. Unsafe
abortion procedures, untrained abortion providers, restrictive abortion laws and high mortality
and morbidity from abortion tend to occur together. Preventing mortality and morbidity from
abortion in countries where these remain high is a matter of good public health policy and
medical practice, and constitutes an important part of safe motherhood initiatives.

Health sectors acknowledge the existence and even the need for abortion medically. With
this, if abortion were to be unrestricted we must learn as a country to look into how other
countries have been long handling abortion. Especially since abortion gets even more alarming in
the country as shown in  the results of the study conducted by the Researchers from Guttmacher
Institute and the University of the Philippines Populations Institute, wherein there were over
470,000 cases of it, which has been performed in the Philippines. In 2010, there were projected
90,000 hospitalizations recorded due to abortion complications. Most women in the country
resort to unsafe procedures which lead to a number of deaths in the past few years, which makes
the Philippines as the 6th highest maternal mortality rate in Southeast Asia. With this, it is very
evident that the banning of legal abortion does not prevent women to have abortion but it only
allows them to have an unsafe ones.
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 Everyone is fighting for their own rights without even trying to see a wider view of it, or
how will it affect their lives after. Many who are personally opposed to abortion believe that
their personal convictions should not affect social policy and law, and thus they support the
availability of legal abortion. This approach elevates non-judgmentalism to the highest possible
value, above even life itself. While attractive at first glance, this argument does not survive
scrutiny. This scrutiny then shall be used to help look into the decisions women make going
through the process of abortion. At the very least, people should not only scrutinize the people
involved but they must also scrutinize the process of abortion itself. Before going through the
process of abortion, one must be aware of the complications it may bring. This is why it is
important for the state to look into the needs of the health centers as to also ensure that the
women of the country are safe and are not put to extreme risk as they push through the process of
abortion.

In order to be effective, public health measures must take into account the reasons why
women have abortions, the kind of abortion services required and at what stages of pregnancy,
the types of abortion service providers needed, and training, cost and counselling issues. The
transition from unsafe to safe abortions demands the following: changes at national policy level;
abortion training for service providers and the provision of services at the appropriate primary
level health service delivery points; and ensuring that women access these services instead of
those of untrained providers. Public awareness that abortion services are available is a crucial
element of this transition, particularly among adolescent and single women, who tend to have
less access to reproductive health services generally.

In the United States, groups advocating for and against abortion rights often deploy
public health arguments to advance their positions. Recently, these arguments have evolved into
state laws that use the government health department infrastructure to increase law enforcement
and regulatory activities around abortion. Many major medical and public health associations
oppose these new laws because they are not evidence-based and do not protect women’s health.
Yet state health departments have been defending these laws in court.
In order to strongly protect women’s health, it is important to look into the proposal for a
21st-century public health approach to abortion based in an accepted public health framework.
Specifically, It is necessary to apply the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 10
Essential Public Health Services framework to abortion to describe how health departments
should engage with abortion.
With the public health framework, health departments should be facilitating women’s
ability to obtain an abortion in the state and county where they reside, researching barriers to
abortion care in their states and counties, and promoting the use of a scientific evidence base in
abortion-related laws, policies, regulations, and implementation of essential services. If abortion
were to be accepted and available for those who need it, the state must ensure that the women
who go through with it are safe. After all, it is the state’s responsibility to safeguard the welfare
of its people.  
Abortion is a common experience for women around the world; yet it is still often
excluded from the curricula of health professionals. If we truly care for the women of our society
it is important for us to understand the importance of abortion provision in the primary care

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setting, identify opportunities to improve global access to abortion care after the first trimester,
describe the epidemiology of abortion, recognize global disparities in access to family planning,
understand the costs of unintended pregnancy, and list barriers to accessing timely and safe
abortion services.
It is also important to take note that poor women are particularly vulnerable to unsafe
abortion and its complications, as they face barriers in obtaining effective means of family
planning and lack access to reproductive health services. Common physical complications that
arise from the use of such crude and dangerous methods include hemorrhage, sepsis, peritonitis,
and trauma to the cervix, vagina, uterus, and abdominal organs.

There may be a lot of arguments against and for abortion but if there is one angle and
concern we should also look into is the life of the mother going through abortion. The current
problem we have in this country right now is the lack of information and judgment of certain
health care providers who deny women access to safe abortions even for medical reasons.
Additionally, the Reproductive Health Law mandates compassionate abortion care in these cases
but many women have reported being shamed by medical professionals who accuse them of
inducing an abortion. With this in mind, the legalization of abortion shall make it a personal
service and should be made available in accordance with proper standards of health care and
with regard for the rights of patients.

JURISPRUDENCE

For over a century, abortion has been completely criminalized in the Philippines.
Abortion in the Philippines is generally illegal and only when it is to save a woman's life that it is
permitted. In Philippine jurisprudence it is recognized that therapeutic abortion is allowed to save
the life of the woman. This has been held in the 1961 Supreme Court case of Geluz v. CA. Even
Fr. Joaquin Bernas, a constitutionalist and a priest, has opined that abortion is allowed under the
1987 Constitution to save the life of the woman. Legal medicine books by Filipino medico-legal
writers recognize the right to therapeutic abortions to preserve the life of the woman and to
preserve her health. In law, practice and policy, only therapeutic abortions are allowed. Other
reasons for abortion is seen indifferently and often times with a negative connotation.

Looking back through the juridical history of abortion in the Philippines and before legal
revisions, the criminal provisions on abortion do not contain any exceptions allowing abortion,
including to save the life of the pregnant woman or to protect her health. Abortion was
criminalized through the Penal Code of 1870 under Spanish colonial rule, and the criminal
provisions were incorporated into the Revised Penal Code passed in 1930 under U.S. occupation
of the Philippines. The criminalization of abortion has not prevented abortion, but instead has
made the procedure unsafe and potentially deadly for the over half a million women each year
who try to terminate their pregnancies. In 2008 alone, the Philippines’ criminal abortion ban was
estimated to result in the deaths of at least 1,000 women and complications for 90,000 more.
Physicians and midwives who perform abortions in the Philippines with the consent of a
pregnant woman may face up to six years in prison under the Revised Penal Code.

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 Under the abortion provisions of the Penal Code, a person who intentionally causes an
abortion with the consent of the pregnant woman is subject to a penalty of prison correccional
(i.e., imprisonment for from six months to six years) in its medium or maximum period. A
physician or midwife who causes or assists in the performance of an abortion is subject to the
maximum period of this penalty, as well as suspension from the right to follow a profession. A
woman performing an abortion on herself to conceal her dishonour is subject to the minimum or
medium period of this penalty. Although the Penal Code does not list specific exceptions to the
general prohibition on abortion, under the general criminal law principles of necessity as set
forth in article 11(4) of the Code, an abortion may be legally performed to save the pregnant
woman’s life.

The predominantly Catholic state may be a factor of this status quo. The stigma
surrounding abortion is perpetuated by the Government of the Philippines’ acquiescence to the
demands of the Catholic hierarchy, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP). The strength of the Catholic hierarchy’s influence in the Philippines was evident in
1987, when Catholic bishops and leaders succeeded in making the 1987 Constitution the first
Philippines constitution ever to recognize a government obligation to protect “the life of the
unborn from conception.” The Government of the Philippines continues to permit the CBCP to
undermine women’s health even today by conceding to its demands to deprive women of a range
of reproductive health services, including access to contraception for poor women,
comprehensive family planning counseling, and sex education.

Globally, some Predominantly Catholic countries have already liberalized their laws on
abortion. In Spain in 2010, Prime Minister Zapatero was at the helm of legalizing abortion on
request during the first 14 weeks of the pregnancy and thereafter on specific grounds. Countries
such as Belgium, France, and Italy allow abortion upon a woman’s request. Poland allows
abortion to protect a woman’s life and physical health and in cases of rape, incest, and fetal
impairment. Hungary allows abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation. Portugal allows abortion up to
10 weeks of gestation. Brazil allows it on certain grounds.

Almost all former Spanish colonies, mostly with predominant Catholic populations, have
liberalized their laws on abortion, allowing abortion on certain grounds: Argentina, Bahamas,
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. That leaves the
Philippines to contend with its antiquated colonial Spanish law. Mexico City, a predominantly
Catholic city, even provides safe and legal abortion for free. In 2017, then former head of state of
Chile, Michelle Bachelet, strongly campaigned to relax their abortion law. Only 6 countries –
particularly, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Malta and Dominican Republic – are left with a
total ban on abortion. Other countries with constitutional protection of the life of the unborn from
conception allow abortion under certain exceptions: Hungary (up to 12 weeks of gestation);
Costa Rica, South Africa, Slovak Republic, Poland (risk to woman's life and health, rape, fetal
impairment); and Kenya.

Legalized or not, incidents of abortion are undeniable. The 2004 national survey on
abortion showed that nearly 90% of those who induce abortion are Catholic. Regardless of

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Church teachings, Filipino women still resort to abortion with the poor, rural and young women
being the most vulnerable to self-induced unsafe abortion. Because of the lack of access to safe
abortion, Filipino women with life threatening pregnancies have no choice but to risk their lives,
either through unsafe abortion or through continuation of high-risk pregnancies.

The criminal abortion ban has stigmatized the procedure in the medical community, so
that women face tremendous barriers and significant abuse when they seek treatment for abortion
complications. Filipino women who seek treatment for complications from unsafe abortion have
repeatedly reported that the stigma around abortion means that healthcare workers are unwilling
to provide care or only treat women after “punishing” women who have undergone abortions by
threatening to report them to the police, harassing women verbally and physically, or delaying
care. Filipino women who have undergone unsafe abortions for health reasons report that
healthcare workers have not been sympathetic to their situation, but instead continue to abuse
and threaten them.

In August 2006, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

(CEDAW Committee), the United Nations body tasked to monitor Philippine compliance with
the CEDAW Convention, recommended for the Philippines to “consider reviewing the laws
relating to abortion with a view to removing punitive provisions imposed on women who
undergo abortion and provide them with access to quality services for the management of
complications arising from unsafe abortions."

In May 2015, the CEDAW Committee released its report on its inquiry on reproductive
rights and recommended to the Philippine government that articles 256 to 259 of the Revised
Penal Code be amended to “legalize abortion in cases of rape, incest, threats to the life and/or
health of the mother, or serious malformation of the foetus and decriminalize all other cases
where women undergo abortion, as well as adopt necessary procedural rules to guarantee
effective access to legal abortion.”

Laws were created to safeguard and protect the rights and welfare of the people.
However, the creation of laws is not always a bulletproof case. Limitations and loopholes are
always just around the corner. A more open discussion on abortion and the continuous relaxation
of laws for safe medical abortions are high time for in doing so, we can save thousands of lives
of our Filipino women.

SOCIO-CULTURAL

Induced abortion is a major phenomenon of the contemporary world. Yet abortion is far
less often or completely studied than fertility, mortality, or contraception. This is partly because
it is such a controversial phenomenon. In much of the world, governments and other institutions
are hostile to it. In fact, many of the women who practice it do not express themselves as being
generally in favor of the procedure. This is because a lot of factors influence the view on
abortion and one of this is religion.

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 Religion can be a powerful influence on sexual attitudes and behaviour for many
individuals. It can often form a society’s viewpoint towards human sexuality. When a particular
religion is practised by many people in a society, it contributes to that society’s culture and
influences those who don’t practice religion. Influences such as ethnicity, social class, age, sex
and gender, as well as culture can all have an effect on how someone views a religious faith.
Religious texts can be viewed as a means to a spiritual goal, rather than merely a restriction on
what is and is not acceptable. Personal interpretations of religious texts and aspects of faith can
vary. Religious leaders within the same faith may also interpret the same text differently.

` Throughout history, religion has influenced society’s attitudes and thinking about
sexuality. Many societies have created laws concerning sex as a result of the attitudes and
thinking of that time. A specific, recent example of this is marriage. Same-sex marriage became
legal in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014. However, many, but not all, religious leaders and
groups have said that their theology means that when they talk about marriage they are only
talking about opposite sex marriage since they do not recognise same sex marriage

As a result of the criminal prohibition and criminal penalties, abortion is knowingly

viewed negatively and heavily stigmatized, both socially and within the medical profession. This
stigma frequently deters providers from delivering quality postabortion care and women from
seeking it, contributing to abortion‐related death and disability. Women hesitate to seek post
abortion services, largely due to how badly they are treated and the stigmatized nature of the
treatment, often emanating from the religiously‐based criminal ban.

How society has painted and stained abortion has significantly affected people’s views and
influenced negative pre-judgments with the inclination to abortion and for the people who
support and go through with it. Not only does this damage and harm the personal images of these
women but these also put at stake the life of these women.Philippine government data shows that
women who get an abortion are typically Catholic, are married, are mothers and have at least a
high school education. But the way that abortion stories are framed in the media and movies and
telenovelas has a lot to do with how it is perceived and the stigma associated with it. Portrayal of
abortion in the various media is always hyperdramatic. Rarely, does it depict the real stories of
women.

Ever since society has demonized the idea of abortion this shunned the reasons and back
stories of women who opted to go through the process of abortion. Some of the reasons why this
women induce abortion are because of economic limitations, the inability to afford the cost of
raising a child or an additihhealthonal child, having enough children or their pregnancy came too
soon after their last birth, being too young, rape, pregnancy not supported by partner or the
family.

Socially, abortion stigma has been used as a source of abuse and mistreatment. There is
an obvious suffering disadvantage or discrimination because of others’ negative reactions to
one's conduct or disposition, such as denial of health services for having or seeking to have an
abortion. Not only did it became a justification for mistreatment but it the mindset towards
abortion has been a factor in the share of resources and institutional support.

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 Laws follow culture, and until our society understands the humanity of the unborn and
the needs of women facing unplanned pregnancies, all of this legislation will be The focus must
be on making abortion unthinkable and unnecessary in the lives and hearts of women, rather than
simply trying cut off or increase the supply through legislation. Abortion is a demand issue and
we must first address why women feel they need abortion to begin with.

Given the dominance in both the media and the academic world of the supporters of
unfettered access to abortion, pro-life frameworks within which to interpret the abortion debate
are rarely presented to the public. In some of the journalistic interpretations, most notably
Andrew Merton's Enemies of Choice and Connie Paige's The Pro Lifers, opposition to abortion
is the product of religious fanaticism, a desire to subjugate women or a sinister grab for power by
New Right groups. i Echoes of these themes can be found in almost any U. S. History text, where
the framework for the abortion debate is seen as denominational and political "fundamentalists,
Catholics and the New Right" on one hand, supporters of women's rights on another.

The change in positions of the pro-life movements, major world religions, and nations is
possible. If we are truly to look into the socio-cultural aspect we must be able to come up with
choices that requires giving women enough support so that abortion doesn’t feel like their only
or best option. This takes two different but equally important forms: emotional and tangible
support. Support that doesn’t ostracized and and immediately condemn these women.

POLITICS

Politics in the Philippines has traditionally been dominated by clans and political bosses
and patronage and is characterized by law makers that make decisions based on fiscal incentives
rather that beliefs and voters that make choices based on personality rather than reasoned
policies. Sadly, in order to please the people a handful of politicians go by the ‘trend’ and
‘demand’ rather than the actual need and answer for the problem.  In many cases politician’s
performance was based on dole-outs not on programs or policies. Philippine concepts about debt
repayment and kinship responsibilities plays a major role in how political networks are set up
and run To win a local election, one must assemble a coalition of families. To win a provincial
election, the important families in each town must be drawn into a wider structure. To win a
national election, the most prominent aristocratic clans from each region must temporarily come
together. Politics therefore in the Philippines please the masses during elections period, but
forget promises and get consumed by self-interest after elections.

With the issue and clamour on abortion, the appropriate and expected government
response would have been to make sustainable development, sex education, and reproductive
health a priority. Instead, there have been delays on RH Law implementation, and abortion is still
illegal in all cases – even to save the life of the woman. The government is neglecting some of its
crucial duties. If the government truly wants to protect the welfare of women, abortion would
now be legal, at least in certain cases. It’s a simple as that. It cannot be stated any clearer.

The knowledge of so paved way to both government and non-government organizations

which aim to promote and fight for women’s rights that are overlooked or purposely ignored by
the Politics of the Philippines. These groups are fighting for the ideas that permitting restrictions

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on women’s right to decide their own bodies perpetuate discrimination against women and
inequality of women in law in clear violation of women’s right to equal protection of the law and
women’s right to privacy.Allowing penal provisions imposed on women who induce abortion
and those who assist them to prevail in Philippine law based on religious standards violates the
constitutional guarantee of non-establishment of religion.

In this day and age, we must uphold reproductive rights to the fullest extent where we champion
women’s rights. It would be beneficial that the politics that we have right now in our country
won’t be just for the show. Our country will be a step closer to women’s equality when it is made
that every woman who decides to have an abortion is able to do so in a safe and legal manner.
This country owe such enabling environment to the mothers, sisters, and daughters who risked
their health and lives by making the difficult decision to self-induce unsafe abortionand most
especially to the women and adolescent girls who were hospitalized, threatened by health care
providers, and those who died because of the country’s long-standing restrictive abortion laws.
The rule of law is governed by secular standards, not religious standards. To uphold women’s
rights to equality and eliminate discrimination, women must have access to safe and legal
abortion.
The Philippines needs to step up its efforts to increase access to safe and legal abortion to
meet its Sustainable Development Goals commitment to decrease maternal mortality ratio to
two-thirds of 2010 levels. It is time to make abortion safe and legal in the Philippines. We should
all should work towards a humane society where no woman should die from unsafe abortion.
Making abortion safe and legal will save the lives of women.

Currently, the role of women's policy agencies as allies or adversaries of women's

movement activists in influencing abortion policy and politics plays a very big role in un-
painting the negatives of abortion. The theoretical foundation of these movements integrates
several theoretical strands: democratic representation, new institutionalism, and social movement
impact all for the fight to legalize abortion for the best interest of women.

ETHICS AND MORALITY

In a country where moral standards are high, the mere mention of abortion is considered a taboo
topic. Not only does the Philippine law deter women from considering abortion but religious
sectors as well.  Most of the time, we are all faced with cruel situations in our lives and we all
need to decide which path to take (the right or the wrong)—our moral choices being tested.
Some are major decisions while some are just minor points, but we need to think through about it
because the choices we make, define who we are as a moral person.

Without any considerations, it is widely known (in the Philippines) that abortion is killing
an innocent unborn child and therefore, an immoral act. Here, we will use the Natural Law to
present an argument against abortion. The Natural Law is an ethical theory by St. Thomas
Aquinas which aids the people to understand which human actions are morally right or wrong
through the use of human reason alone—that is without the use of divine revelation or
magisterium.

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 Under the natural law theory, there are three determinants of a human action and all
should be good in order for a human action to be considered as good. First, is the act itself (what
the agent wills), which is either good, evil, or neutral (indifferent) by its very nature. (A major
tenet of a proportionality interpretation of classic natural law theory, an interpretation which this
author rejects, is that there are no "moral absolutes", i.e., there are no human actions which are
per se good or per se evil; there are only "neutral" or "indifferent" human actions. For example,
the act of abortion is per se evil; the acts of administering chemotherapy or performing a
hysterectomy could be inherently good, or indifferent (neutral), actions. Second, is the he motive
or intention (consciously willed), which is what the agent wants to achieve by the act — i.e., the
end, purpose or goal of the action; why the action is performed — e.g., in order to kill a person;
or in order to evade social disgrace, better spacing of children, or cure a deadly disease. Lastly,
the circumstances, which are the accidental surroundings of the act (which include the
consequences of the act — e.g., the act of intercourse with a willing spouse or forcibly with a
stranger or one's child; or that there are no other medical treatments available.

It is critical to understand that an action which is evil in itself (by its nature) cannot be
made good or indifferent by any intentions, goals or circumstances — no matter how good or
praiseworthy these are per se. On the other hand, an action which is good in itself (by its nature)
can be morally ruined by any gravely bad intentions or circumstances. These three determinants
of a moral act are incorporated into the following short explication of the principle of double
effect.

The principle of double effect is based on the fact that evil must never be directly and
voluntarily willed for its own sake, and must never be willed either as an end or as a means to an
end. Nor may evil ever be directly willed as a foreseen consequence. But evil can be reduced to
an unavoidable by-product in the achievement of moraly licit good the person is rightfully
seeking.

If one followed the Natural Law ethic, one would have to reject abortion on the grounds
that it goes against the fundamentals of the theory. The only exception to this would need to be
within the requirements of the Doctrine of Double Effect. Women who go through te process of
abortion stand with their grounds of reasons: economic limitations, the inability to afford the cost
of raising a child or an additihhealthonal child, having enough children or their pregnancy came
too soon after their last birth, being too young, rape, pregnancy not supported by partner or the
family. According the the Principle of Double Effect, if the good significantly affects the bad,
then the act can be considered moral. Considering womens’ reasons for abortion then, the evil of
killing the unborn child can be reduced if the un-avoidable by-product the achievement of some
moraly licit good the person is rightfully seeking.

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 Abortion is a reality for Filipino women. The illegality of abortion has not deterred
Filipino women from inducing unsafe abortion. Banning abortions does not work. It only forces
women to get them in other ways that are dangerous. As a result of the criminal abortion law and
the discriminatory environment in the Philippines, women are left without a means to control
their fertility, exposed to unsafe abortions, and made vulnerable to abuse in the health system.
While the country is still firm in banning abortion, women will continue to endure life-
threatening pregnancies and resort to measures that deviate from the medical standards. On the
other hand, if we push through the legalization of abortion then we can pave a way for
government regulation and setting standards for safety and term limits.

Looking through the issue of Abortion across the five disciplines namely, Theology,
Public Health, Socio-Cultural, Politics and Ethics and Morality with the given context we’ve
come to the conclusion that most opponents of abortion are not, in truth, especially concerned
with women's rights at all. The discussion of abortion has to take account of the social realities
facing poor women, the issue on public health, the social degradation these women encounter,
the political mishaps and neglect for these women, the non-considerations ethically and etc..
Instead, the lense on the process of abortion is on the painted and sustained idea of murder and
immorality. When in reality the hard truth is that our society is not prepared to provide
adequately for children, and those who oppose abortion are, in general, those least in favor of
expanding social and family services. With all the angles presented and considered, abortion
supported properly in all aspects will not only be beneficial for the women alone but for the
people and society surrounding the women. This is why, it is of urgency that Philippine law must
uphold secular standards, human rights, and public health if there is truly the will to save
women’s lives. It is time for the country to decriminalize abortion and save women’s lives by not
denying the access to safe and legal abortion.

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